Spring 2018 for Yvonne

AA DSC00827 cropped color.jpg

​​Dear Friends,

Where to start?.......I want everyone to know I am so grateful for the love, condolences and good thoughts from near and far, especially on Facebook where the hundreds of “love letters” to Yvonne will remain forever as a tribute to her bright, positive spirit. Our family really appreciates it and we are doing ok, considering.....

My beautiful wife and partner o​​f 31 years, Yvonne, passed away March 16, 2018 from complications of ​a brain tumor and pneumonia. This is not something that we planned for. Yvonne believed that she would beat it​.​ ​S​he fought hard​; we fought hard with a positive attitude​,​ and we did our best to enjoy every moment together these last 4 years, despite her worsening symptoms. We were all set to go to London for 4 nights at Pizza Express in March, and then on to Germany to visit her relatives, but had to cancel last minute..........

I am so lucky to have the support of our close friends and neighbors all through this time, and with our boys being 20 and 23, they seem to be handling it very well. In the last few days and weeks we have visited some of Yvonne's favorite places in nature to pay tribute to her and cry and smile.......and repeat. I spent 2 weeks “camping“ at the beach and ​joined ​some of our oldest ​couple/​friends​ on​ a trip we had planned months ago to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. The fresh air really helps, and Yvonne's spirit is now settled in her new, permanent place, deep in all our hearts.

I have been getting back on my feet and am ready to play some music again. I am flying out today for 2 weeks of shows and visiting more old friends, so I hope to see you in the coming weeks and months. Since “Soul Secrets” came out in late 2014, that was also the start of Yvonne’s health problems, and I never could answer the question, “When are you coming out with a new CD?”, other than just to hold that thought and accept that the priority is on things other than music.

I trust that music can heal; music has given us a charmed life, so I’ll be “Looking Up”, taking it as it comes, and let’s see where the inspiration leads.

Please do me a favor and check out “Three Wishes, One Desire” with great lyrics and vocals by my buddy Ron Boustead, and “Healing Song”, featuring Kirk Whalum, and think of Yvonne.

Yvonne DiSimone Karukas June 11, 1963 - March 16, 2018

Yvonne DiSimone Karukas passed away peacefully March 16 after an 18-month, hard-fought battle against an inoperable brain stem tumor. She was 54 years old. She was surrounded throughout the day by the incredible love of her family and friends, playing music and singing. We will be forever grateful for that day and hold her beautiful, positive spirit deep in our hearts.

Yvonne grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA,​ and attended T.O. High. The eldest of three daughters of Robert and Rosemarie DiSimone, she was raised with music always playing in the house. Dad (Bob), was a busy weekend musician and Mom (Rosie), was a passionate arts lover, singer and dancer. Yvonne was a classical piano student of local instructor Rae Holcomb, and also taught piano in her late teens. She attended Moorpark College and Cal State University Northridge, where she earned her Masters’ Degree in Health Administration. While at CSUN, she met her husband, Smooth Jazz pianist Gregg Karukas, and they spent the next 31 years together. They raised two boys, Alex and Stevie; first in Granada Hills, then moving back to the Wildwood area of Thousand Oaks in 2007. Yvonne was an active volunteer for all the kids' school activities, especially the T.O. High School Bands. She also volunteered at Conejo Players Theater as house manager while son Alex lit up the stage.

Her career in health administration brought her to Las Encinas Hospital, St John's, and finally, to Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, where she handled all the claims after the Northridge earthquake.

Yvonne enjoyed hiking, camping and traveling the most. She went on many trips abroad with Gregg for his performances, to exotic places like Mallorca, Japan, the UK, The Dave Koz Cruises to Alaska, Spain, Italy, and to many shows in Hawaii.

Four years ago, before the brain tumor, she developed a painful rash that we learned was CTCL - Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma with Sezary Syndrome, a very rare form of skin cancer. Eventually, she found relief with a clinical trial drug from Japan. Four months later, she had dizzy spells and the brain stem tumor was discovered. While researching all about her brain tumor, even with her double vision, she was constantly posting on the private newsgroups and Facebook groups to support the CTCL sufferers and Glioblastoma (GBM) patients and caregivers seeking advice. Yvonne shared what she had learned and helped many others while battling her own new cancer … all by speaking/posting into her iPhone.

Yvonne is survived by her husband Gregg Karukas of Thousand Oaks; sons Alex Karukas of Glendale and Stevie Karukas of Bloomington, IN; father Robert DiSimone and sister Michelle DiSimone, both of Thousand Oaks; sister Renee Dugan and her husband Tim of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and the Dugan children, Bethany, Talia and David. She also leaves behind countless other relatives, friends and neighbors - all considered “family” in her journey.

Her good deeds and memory can be honored by making a donation to: CLF foundation https://www.clfoundation.org/giving-online

........I believe there is an undercurrent of love in all our relationships, whether we are just friends, co-workers, lovers or even just co-humans. Every song, every melody has an undercurrent of some kind of love or emotion: romantic......or funky love. We need to express it. We need to hear words and sounds of love, and now is the best time to show your love for someone close who needs it.

In tragic times like this we all have to cope with what life gives us, and hopefully you’ll get some relief from the sadness by expressing yourself. Thank you. Gregg

AA y and gk mallorca cropped 1.jpg

​Finally, if you’ve read this far, this is personal, but it sums up Yvonne and what this experience has brought out in our family. This is an excerpt from my son Stevie’s post on his Facebook:

​"​...........In addition to the inspiration, education, and endless support my parents have shared, I have inherited my favorite thing about my mother: her often reserved, but always lighthearted and silly, manner. Even now in her frail condition I can tell that she remains the same on the inside; her inability to express this through speech is the most heartbreaking part of this process for me. As time inevitably proceeds forward, at the very least I can take pride in carrying bits of her personality everywhere I go. I attribute my best qualities to her; it is unfortunate that most of my friends (from school, etc.) will never meet the source of my personal inspiration--you would have loved her.

Whenever I would have people over at my parent's house, my mom would greet them with a big smile and hug them, and when they left she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved each one of my friends. I bring this up because I want these people to know what she felt for them. She was so happy to see my brother and I developing true friendships--and so much more open to sharing this love than I have ever been. Even when she was in excruciating pain for 2 years due to a rare type of lymphoma, she still had a positive outlook; never once did she turn her suffering outwards.

Because I have been (away) so involved in school, my parents thought that sugarcoating the bad news would be best for me, and I can't blame them for feeling this way...I appreciate my friends who have already reached out to me, though I am not looking for sympathy; this is about my mother, not me. I was considering keeping quiet on social media about this (as I tend to do), but I realized it would be hypocrisy to hide the truth from those of my Facebook friends who have had the fortune to meet her.

She will be home soon for hospice care, and my family will be doing our best to keep her comfortable and happy. Again, I appreciate the sympathy my friends have shown me, but what is important now is how my mother feels. If you would like me to relay a message to her, comment here or send her Facebook account (Yvonne DiSimone Karukas) a private message. We may be able to read them to her depending on how she is feeling.​"​

AA IMG_0172.JPG

with Jazzmine

Gregg Karukas

Serenata Review by Kathy Parsons Mainlypiano.com

With Serenata, his first solo piano album in a long and illustrious career, Gregg Karukas dazzles, not with piano pyrotechnics, but with subtle nuance and a deep love for this music.

A mix of new and re-imagined original compositions along with “piano impressions” of Brazilian artists Milton Nacimento, Clube da Esquina and Dori Caymmi, Karukas clearly demonstrates that, in the right hands, great music (and great musicianship!) defies genres and categories to enrich the ears and hearts of anyone willing to take some time to listen. Calling the project “a labor of love that came out of the isolation of the last few months,” the album was initially inspired by a rediscovered cassette tape of his live performances from the 1990’s with Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silveira at Le Cafe in Los Angeles. One evening, Karukas sat down at the piano and played some of the pieces from memory - a deeply emotional experience that set him off on a new adventure to create this wonderful collection of 15 solo piano gems.

A Grammy Award winner, Gregg Karukas’ 30+ year career as a keyboardist/ composer/ producer has included twelve solo albums, many #1 radio hits, touring with a variety of artists that include Sergio Mendes and Melissa Manchester, being a founding member of The Rippingtons, contributing to more than 100 albums, and sessions for many films and television shows. He has recorded and played on the world’s biggest stages with many of his Brazilian musical heroes, including Montreux Jazz with Caymmi, and multiple shows at the Hollywood Bowl with Ivan Lins, Oscar Castro Neves, Tom Jobim, Toots Thielemans, Mendes and Caymmi. Serenata brings this musical "love affair" full circle - “a crossover treat from the heart, for the heart” (Karukas’ words).

The album begins with “Travessia” by Fernando Brant and Milton Nascimento - a beautifully wistful and dreamy piece that sets the tone of the album. “Ponta de Areia,” also composed by Brant and Nascimento, conveys a warm, soothing energy in a relaxed and understated style. The title track, a Karukas original, has a sweet, simple melody that floats on the flowing left hand broken chords - a favorite! “Tudo O Que Você Podia Ser” by Lô Borges and Marcio Borges combines a jazzier, more rhythmic style with a beautifully poignant melody. Karukas’ “Better Days” is another favorite - simple, direct and from the heart. “Sound of Emotion,” (Karukas) feels like an intimate conversation without words - I love it! “Paisagem da Janela” by Fernando Brant and Lô Borges is a light and breezy bit of musical sunshine. Karukas’ tender, loving “Dori’s Song” is a heartfelt tribute to a dear friend. He also composed "Para Sempre (Until Forever)," a reflective and deeply emotional soul searching at the piano, perhaps late at night by the light of a candle - my favorite piece on the album. The last two tracks were also penned by Karukas. “Lament (Final Embrace)” is a heartbreaking goodbye that goes far beyond any words to describe it, and “Long Ago” brings the album to a very peaceful, serene close.

I sincerely hope that Serenata is just the first in a long series of solo piano albums by Gregg Karukas and predict it will be one of the best and most honored albums of 2021!

Album Links Amazon(referral)Apple/iTunes/Spotify

Contemporary Fusion Reviews - Dick Metcalf

Melodic solo keyboard magic Gregg Karukas – SERENATA:   I’ve spent a lot of time with the piano; playing it (both live and in-studio) as well as reviewing 100’s of other players, so I can tell you that solo pianist Gregg Karukas’ melodic solo keyboard is pure, unadulterated, magic!  Get an intimate look at his preview trailer for the album first…

When you SUBSCRIBE to Gregg’s YouTube channel, you will experience his magic on many other instruments as well (this is his first solo piano album ever).

The thing that truly sets Gregg’s piano apart from other pianists is his sensitivity for what the listener will need to hear; nowhere is that more evident than on his original composition, “Better Days“… his “pacing” is perfect, and every note is formed with the utmost care… DJ’s of all stripes will be plugging this into their playlists for days (and months & years) to come!

Another original composition that really impressed me is Gregg’s “Para Sempre” (Until Forever)… in his own words, “For me, the best music comes out of an inner feeling of either intense happiness or sadness”, and both moods are reflected in this emotional song.

Of the fifteen fascinating songs Gregg offers up for our piano pleasure, I found one of the shorter performances (2:59), “Lament” (Final Embrace) was my choice for personal favorite… he reaches down inside his own heart to touch yours with passion and intensity… I just LOVED this song!

I give Gregg a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 4.99.  

 

JW Vibe by Jonathan Widran

“A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”

 Gregg Karukas’ extraordinary success over the past 30-plus years as a #1 charting smooth jazz artist and one of the genre’s busiest sidemen make it easy to overlook the deeper elements of versatile composer/keyboardist’s expansive resume – including winning a Grammy in 2013 for his work with new age pianist Omar Akram and his many years of touring with Brazilian greats Sergio Mendes, Dori Caymmi and Ricardo Silvera in the 90’s.

 Both of those extracurriculars come into play on Serenata, a thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work that marks Karukas’ first-ever solo piano album, his first release in over six years and first since losing his wife Yvonne to cancer. The unique concept – captured in the album subtitle “Piano Impressions of Milton Nascimento Clube Da Esquina and Dori Caymmi “ – grew out of a recent discovery of old cassettes of some of those Brazilian shows. Listening most attentively to his shows with Caymmi at the small L.A. club Le Café, where the singer often introduced Karukas as “my orchestra,” sparked a powerful emotional reaction.

The keyboardist also re-discovered the video of his 1992 wedding where Caymmi sang “O Cantador” – a gently wistful piece that is one of the emotional centerpieces on the generous 15 track collection. Karukas also thought back to memories of his early days driving to gigs in his hometown of Washington, DC, listening to Nascimento imports. Combining all of these inspirations with the isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown created an ideal palette for him to explore his deeper piano artistry and find the kind of healing and hope that only the music of the heart can bring. That’s the sparkling magic Karukas shares throughout from the elegant, seductive Nascimento-penned opening tracks “Travessia” and “Ponta de Aeria” to the equally subtle graces of “Club da Esquina” and Caymmi’s “Historia Antga” and the playful hypnotic romp “Paisagem de Janela.”

 In a good way, Serenata’s subtitle mentioning the Brazilian influences isn’t quite accurate because nearly half the tracks are delightful ultra-melodic Karukas originals that fit in perfectly among the works of the masters. These include solo piano reworkings of two gems from his mid-90’s smooth jazz classic Sound of Emotion (including, naturally, the soulful, tender-hearted tribute “Dori’s Song”) and moody originals whose titles (“Better Days,” “Lament (Final Embrace),” “Long Ago”) capture his process of acknowledging and letting go of the sorrows of the past and embracing the grand possibilities of the road ahead.

 After so many years of in the pocket smooth jazz hit making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear “A thoughtful, reflective and ultimately joyful work. After so many years of in-the-pocket Smooth jazz hit-making, it’s wonderful to experience Karukas’ truest heart on display. To quote one of those earlier titles, that’s truly the sound of emotion coming through loud and clear.”  Jonathan Widran. JW Vibe https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/gregg-karukas-serenata

Serenata By Gregg Karukas

Written by Steve Sheppard

 There are moments in time when you really need to be lifted into a better frame of mind and sometimes, just sometimes, it will be music that will help you get there, this was the case for me this sombre Monday morning in March, when the refrains of the quite tranquil, yet deeply pleasing album entitled Serenata by Gregg Karukas lifted my mood and raised my spirits.

Gregg’s slice of piano heaven is a jam packed 15 track album of beautiful layered and textured offerings, that are all undeniably lush and beautiful. The opening piece is a fine example of that charm, as we can enjoy the first footsteps of the album with the warm and all-embracing opener Travessia.

My personal favourite from the release would be the title track Serenata, the lightness of performance and the melody together for me was a touch of magic from beyond the supposed limits of brilliance, and reminded me greatly of classic David Lanz at times.

With emotive and thoughtful offerings like Better Days or the colourful refrains of pieces like O Cantador, this album was always going to be a hit from start to finish; those who love to sit and bathe within the realms of a collection of a solo piano master class will love tracks like the touching and classy Historia Antiga, or perhaps the gentle and serene offering known as Lament (Final Embrace), a piece with a sombre, but reflective and emotional composition, one that will touch the musical heart with ease.

Serenata by Gregg Karukas is a fine collection of wondrous solo piano compositions, it is a musical tale told by one, to be felt, touched and listened to by many.

No less than 15 opportunities lay within the dimension of piano heaven, and each one of them can be sampled willingly many times over, this timeless manifestation of heartfelt moments of solo piano genius, have raised the bar in the ranks of this genre by a mile, and as such should be a huge hit for the artist should there be any justice left in this musical world of ours.

Serenata
By Gregg Karukas
Buy on Amazon

"

You can also order from Amazon, but no autograph.

Powered by Squarespace

Cart (0)